Gasometer.



No. 7|6,796. Patented Dec. 23, I902.

J. W. WEEKS. 4

GA-SBMETEB.

(Application filed In. 17, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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vented certain new and useful Improvements JOHN w. WEEKS, or PROVIDENCE,

ATENT FFICEe RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIVERSAL AOETYLENE COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

GA SOMETEP.

EPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 716,796, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed March 1'7, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. WEEKS,- a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Providence, in the co untyot' Providence and Stateof Rhode Island, have inin Gasometers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gas-holders or gasometers and of the type or class adapted more especially to be employed in connection with apparatus for generating acetylene gas.

Myimprovementforms what may be termed a combined telescoping guide, stop, and blow-off, the arrangement being such that the gasometer is guided laterally, thus keeping it normally central, while at the same time the Vertical movements of the gasometer are eifected with a minimum amount of friction. In this as well as in other gasome tore the vertical movements are due to the volume and pressure of gas contained therein.

My invention consists, essentially, in the combination, with a vertically-movable gasometer and a water-holding tank therefor, in which it is adapted to be sealed, of an axiallydisposed tube connected to the gasometor and extending throughout its length and above the top of the gasometer, said tube being open at its lower end and closed at the top, a fixed central tube extending upwardly from the bottom of the tank and inside of the said gasometer-tube and means connected with said tubes adapted to form a lateral support and guide for the gasbmetenthe tube being provided with suitably-arranged openings, whereby when the gasometer rises to or above a predetermined point communication is antomatically established with the outer air, all as more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view of a gasometer and its tank embodying my improvements. Fig.12 is ahori'zontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a similar section,"enlarged, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.2

The open tank B, in which the gasometer Serial No. 98,531. (No model.)

- I) is mounted and water-sealed, has a watertight horizontal partition 0'. located in its lower portion, thereby forming below it a space or gas-washing chamber F, as clearly shown. Secured to the base of said chambered portion is a vertical central tube 19, the same extending upwardly through said partition to a point above the top of the tank and is provided with a series of suitably-arranged freely-turning guidewheels b projecting laterally beyond the outer surface of the tube. That portion of the tube extending above the tank is open or apertured and in direct communication with an outlet-opening 1), formed in the tube just below the partition a and extending above the water-level in said chamber F, as shown.

In the chamber F, I have represented a submerged hollow niem ber a having a gas washing and mixing chamber F. This, however, forms no part of my present invention, but is introduced to show a way of conducting gas into the gasoineter. The gas may be delivered from any suitable source of supply into a pipe -i (shown in Fig. 2) communicating with said member a The gas rises through the water and flows into a vertical pipe or, leading from member a and is discharged into the gasometer D. The gas passes from the latter via the adjacent downwardlyextending pipe b into the usual service-pipe 11 In Fig. 2 0 indicates a portion of a gasgenerating tank connected with the gasometor-tank B by means of a hollow connection H in open communication with tank O, the connection being indicated by dotted lines. The said pipe '5 is also connected with and receives the gas from the member H, as indicated in said figure.

The gas-holder or gasometer D has an axially-disposed tube (1 secured thereto, the same extending upwardly from the lower edge of the gasometer to a point above the top of the latter, as clearly shown. the lower end and closed at the top. To the lower portion is secured an annular casting (1', having, as drawn, four radially-arranged freely-turning small independent wheels d At a point, say, nine inches from the bottom The tube is open at edge of the gasometer the tube d has an open ing 0 formed in its wall, so that in case the gasometer rises to-its limit said opening will permit gas to. escape freely from the gasometer into the atmosphere or outer air. It will be seen that the said central tube 6 and its guide-Wheels b are mounted within the gasometer-tube d and form a telescoping guide therefor, the lower Wheels d at the same time cooperating therewith for'the same purpose.

The stationary tube 2) is provided with a collar 3, its position thereon being such that at substantially the same instant the rising gasometer exposes the outlet-opening c of the tube (1 above the water in the tank the wheels (Z will engage the collar, thereby arresting the generators upward movement and permitting gas to freely escape from the gasometer via opening 0, pipe I), and exit-opening 19 into the chamber F and from the latter into the outer air via blow-off pipe ct, the latter being indicated in Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen that the device is adapted to form a combined telescoping guide, stop, and blow-off, the same working automatically and requiring no attention whatever after the parts have been first properly adjusted.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. The combined telescoping guide, stop and blow-off for gasometers, substantially as hereinbefore described, the same consisting of a Water-holding tank B having a chamber in its lower portion in direct communication with the outer air, and a vertically-arranged open-ended central guide-tube b secured to the tank and provided with a stop 3, in combination with the vertically-movable gasoineter member D sealed in said tank, a central tube d, secured to the gasometer movable upon said tube I), having an opening a formed in its wall through which gas escapes from the gasometer into pipe I) when the gasometer in rising exposes said opening above the Water seal, and means located at the upper end of tube b and lower end of tube cl adapted to engage the Walls of the adjacent tubes and form lateral guides therefor.

2. The combination with the outer tank B having a centrally-disposed fixed tubeb provided at its upper end with a plurality of freely-turning-guide-Wheels projecting beyond the tubes surface, of the vertically-movable gasometer member D having a guidetube 61 surrounding the said tube Z) and also provided with a series of guide-wheels, each of the said two series of guide-wheels being, arranged to engage the walls of the fellow tube, substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose set forth.

' Signed at Providence, Rhode Island, this 13th day of March, 1902.

JOHN WV. \VEEKS. WVitnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, CHARLES E. GREENE. 

